Japanese Published Application JP 6-96728 discloses a low-pressure mercury vapour discharge lamp having two essentially identical electrode frames sealed in the ends of the tubular discharge vessel. The electrode frames each have an electrode filament which is arranged transverse to the discharge vessel axis and is surrounded by an annular metal strip--a so-called ring cap. The ring axis of this annular metal strip extends parallel to the discharge vessel axis. The ring cap is assembled from two segments, of which one segment is coated with an amalgam, in particular with a mercury-titanium alloy, while the other segment is provided with a getter coating which binds the gaseous contaminants in the discharge vessel. The amount of mercury in the low-pressure discharge lamp is controlled via the length of the first segment. While the lamp is being produced, the ring caps are heated inductively with the aid of an electromagnetic radio frequency signal to a temperature of approximately 900.degree. C. to 950.degree. C. As a result, on the one hand the getter is activated, and on the other hand the mercury is released from the mercury alloy. The required radio frequency signal is usually generated by means of a radio frequency inductor which has an induction loop with two long legs extending parallel to one another, and which generates at the location of the ring caps an electromagnetic radio frequency field whose magnetic field extends essentially parallel to the discharge vessel axis and thus also parallel to the ring axis of the ring caps. The lamps require approximately 20 to 30 seconds to traverse this radio frequency field. Because of their dimensions, such ring caps are not suitable for low-pressure discharge lamps whose discharge vessel has an outside diameter of less than or equal to 16 mm.
German patent DE 26 16 577 describes a low-pressure discharge lamp, in particular a fluorescent lamp, which is provided with a mercury-containing ionizable filling inside the discharge vessel. The mercury component in the ionizable discharge medium is here approximately 5 mg to 20 mg. Since such low amounts of mercury can be dosed in the form of drops only with difficulty, the mercury is introduced into the discharge vessel with the aid of a support member which is provided with a mercury-containing coating and additionally also with a getter. The mercury-containing coating and the getter are applied to a metal strip, which is arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lamp and is a component of an electrode frame of the low-pressure discharge lamp, that is to say the coated surfaces of the metal strip extend essentially in an axially parallel fashion. During production of the lamp, the metal strip is inductively heated by means of an electromagnetic radio frequency signal for approximately 20 to 30 seconds to a temperature of approximately 900.degree. C. to 950.degree. C. in order to release the mercury and activate the getter.